Boston Computer Society - Sinclair Timex User Group Newsletter

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* BOSTON COMPUTER SOcietv 2
* Newsletter of the BoSTUG (Sinclair/Timex User Group) *
* vol 3 No 1 x

EDITOR'S NOTES

This is asad issue to compile.

tt marks my final issue as editor

of the newsletter, and announces
the disbandment of the Sinclair
Timex User Group of the Boston -
Computer Society.

Eight years ago the Sinclair
Group was a major force in the
establishment of the BCS. Sir
Clive turned ona generation of
computer users with tha ZX~-81 and
ts = North American clone the
TS-1000.

With the demise of Timex as a
computer manufacturer the group
began a sure decline to a little
over 100 members.

The decision to abandon the S/T

User Group resulted from a
combination of factors.
First, it had been over a year

since anyone had shown up ata
general meeting.

Second, the active core of QL
users were the only ones who were
involved. This generated a lot of
work to put out a newsletter that
no one except Qi users were
interested in.

Third, came the increase in BCS
membership fees that made annual
membership cost more than a new
computer.

Finally, the BCS red tape grew to
the point where it stopped being
fun to look after the affairs of
state.

As a result the QL users voted in
January to start the independent.
New England Sinclair Qt User
Group (NESQLUG), with $10.00
annual fees, meeting bi-monthly
(for now) and = planning a
quarterly newsletter.

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter

None of the above should pass
without appropriate recognition
of Pam Bybell, the BCS Manager of
User Group Support. Throughout
my tenure as general factotum she
has provided cheerful support and
general assistance in many areas.

'f | have any regrets about the
QL users decision to separate, it
is that | will miss Pam.

Thank
alive.

you Pam, for being so

Peter Hale

interested QL users who wish to
jein the New England Sinclair
User Group should contact Richard
Taylor, 309 Holly Cir., Tiverton,

Ri 02878.

Membership is $10.00 per year.

The newsletter's exchange policy
will remain the same. Sinclair/
Timex User groups should forward
exchange issues to Joyce Blaho,
$71 Fellsway, Medford, MA 02155.

SIMPLE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
(what goes around comes around)

Many fans of Sinclair computers
have thought that Sir Clive’s

genius is not fully appreciated

because Alan Sugar of the British
firm AMSTRAO refused to license
Q@bOS, the operating system for
the Sinclair @L.

it was believed that he saw the
Ql as a major threat to his
investment in the manufacture and
marketing of MS-DOS clones.

The January 1, issue of Barron's
listed the major loser’s on the
Lendon Stock exchange during
1989. Of companies with market
capitalization over £25 million,
AMSTRAD tied for first place
posting a 77% drop in share value
over the 12 month period.

= OF March 1990

TABLE of CONTENTS

aod
o
a
o

Editor’s Notes
Simple Justice Department
An Apology
Letter to the Editor
KEYWHIZ
CDIR Directory Printer
BE SMUG
INNOCENTS ABROAD
Pubtic Domain Library

for TS-1000 and TS-2068
UPDATE Lives
ALTKEY Boot
Meeting Notes
SMUG Announcement

MOMUNNINA

as
onanas

AN APOLOGY

The back cover of the September/
Octber 1989 issue reproduced two
scatalogical cartoons. A number
of people found them to be in
poor taste.

The most charitable comments were
that it reflected a lapse of

judgement by a here-to-fore
responsible editor.
Others were of the opinion

expressed by the letter to the

editor below.

1 wish to apologize to any and
all who found the reproductions
offensive and to observe that the
decision to terminate the ST User
group was a totally unrelated
event.

Peter Hale

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Please remove my name from your

BoSTUG mailing list. [tf | want
bathroom cartoons, ‘ll look
elsewhere,

Cisgustedly,

(Signed) Stephen D. Pratt

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter

KEYWHIZ
by Ed Kingsley

The following ALTKEY utility lets
you enter the computer’s date in
European (military) format in any
document,

It is useful in Quill to date a
letter, but may be used in any
program to avoid typing out the
date each time.

“Caution! It is first necessary to

set the data onthe QL. These
lines must appear in a boot after
the date setting routine.

To use, position the cursor where
you wish the computer's date to
appear. Then press ALT SHIFT D.

!f you want US standard format of
the date, replace lines 1240 and
1250 with lines 1270 and 1280.

1000 REMark
1010 REMark
1020 REMark
1030 REMark
1040 REMark =
1050 REMark 3 Nov 89 e 1 kingsley
1060 :
1070 REMark Prints Date @ Cursor
1080 REMark -~--------------- ass:
1090 D$=DATE$: d=10
1100 1F D$(10)=0 THEN d=11
1110
1120
1130
1140
1150
1160
1170
1180
1190
1200
1210
1220
1230
1240 =
1250 ALTKEY'D', D$(d To 118mg
80$(1 TO 4)
1260 REMark Alternate for US format
1270 REMark Dm$=Dmgs" "
1280 REMark ALTKEY'D', Dm$éO$(d To
11)&", “8D$(1 To 4)

+ Om$="January™

+ Dmg$=“February”

Om$="March"
Dmg="Apr i"

- 2 - March 1990

CcDIR
A SUPERBASIC PROGRAM

CDIR displays and prints directories in column format. If there
are more files than can be seen on the screen at once, it breaks
them up inte ‘pages’ which can be quickly displayed. There is
also an option to mark (in the display screen) files whose name
contains a specified string. This allows for quick searches for
files. It works by putting the directory into a temporary scratch
file and putting all the file names in a string array. They can
then be easily printed in column format (up to four per screen).
If you have ever frantically looked through old microdrives or
floppies for a file, you will appreciate this program. If you are
industrious, you can use the program to print out the directory of
each medium and keep it handy so you can locate a file when
needed.

100 REMark CDIR

110 REMark Column Directory Program

120 REMark Bill Cable V1.1

130:

140 REMark This program puts the

150 REMark directory of a medium in

160 REMark columns on the screen and

170 REMark prints them out if desired.

180 REMark File names containing a

190 REMark specified string will be found

200 REMark and marked for easy spotting.

220 seratch$=""sindSe™

230 cdir

240:

250 DEFine PROCedure done

260 WINDOW#1,512,206,0,0

270 CLS#0:CLS#i:STOP

280 END DEFine done

290 :

300 DEFine PROCedure cdir

310 WINDOW#1,512,256,0,0

320 WINDOW#2,512,206,0,0

330 heading"Column Directory"

340 IF scratch$="""

350 get_device “For Scratch Pad"

360 scratch$=device$

370 «IF scratch$="" THEN done

380 END IF

390 get_device "To Directory”

400 source$=deviceS

410 IF source$="":done:END IF :AT 10,10

420 PRINT#1,"{making list of files. If error, type : ‘close
#5<ENTER>"}"

430 DELETE scratch$&"tmp_tmp"™

440 OPEN_NEW#5,scratchS&"tmp_tmp”

450 DIR#5,source$:CLOSE#5

460 OPEN#5,scratch$é"tmp_tmp"

470 INPUT#5,a$,b$

480 cnt=0:max=1:pos=1

490 REPeat all

500 IF EOF(#5) THEN EXIT all

510 ent=cnt+LINPUTE#S,is

520 IF UEN(i$)>max THEN max=LEN(is)

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter - 3 - March 1990

1000
1010
1020
1030
1040
1050
1060
1070
1080
1090
1160
1110
1120
1130
1140

BoSTUG Sinclaix/Timex Newsletter - 4- March 1990

END REPeat all
CLOSE#5:npg=0:page=1
IF cnt>o

DIM files$(cnt,max):pos=1
OPEN#5,seratch$&"tmp_tmp"
INPUT#S,a$,b$

FOR i=l TO cnt

INPUT#S5,i$:files$(i)=is

END FOR i

CLOSES

DELETE scratch$&"tmp_tmp"
neol=INT(80/(max+2))

IF ncol>8 THEN ncol=8
i=INT({ent-1)/20)+1

IF i<ncol THEN ncol=i
set_columns 0,0,0:lpg=0
END IP
AT 10,0:CLS 4:AT 24,0:CLS 4
REPeat options

3$="[1-"Snpg$&"] page, C(ols),D(ir),P(rt),F(ind),Q(uit)

show_files Lpage:key$=keyin$(1,24,20,3$)
IF key$>="1" AND keyS$<="9"

page=key$

IF page<l:page=1

ELSE :IF page>npg THEN page=npg
END IF
END IF
IF key$=="c"

set_columns 24,20,ncol:page=1:lpg=0
END IF

AT 24,20:CLS 4
INPUT"Find file names containing : ":fnd$

Ipg=0

END IF

IF key$=="p" THEN dir_print
IF key$ " THEN done

END REPeat options

END DEFine cdir

DEFine PROCedure set_columns(l,c,d)
IF 1<>0

i$=keyin§(1,1,c,"How many columns {<ENTER= "&d&"] : ")

IF CODE(i$)=10 THEN isd: ELSE i="0"&is
IF 8 OR ix] THEN i-d
neol=i:END IF

cwid=INT(80/ncol):npg=INT((cnt-1)/(20*ncol) }+1lmpg$=npg

END DEFine set_columns

DEFine PROCedure show_files(chn,pg)
iso
IF pg<>0
IF lpg=pg THEN RETurn
theading source$&" : "&aS&" “&bS

IF cnt=0 THEN AT 4,10:PRINT "No Files Found":RETurn

AT 2,0:CLS 2

beg_index=20*ncol*(pg-1)+l:end, |_index=20*ncol*pg
IF end_index>cnt THEN end_index=cnt

ELSE :beg_index=l:end_index=ent

END IF

FOR k=beg_index TO end_index

1150s lin=IN'T((k~beg_index)/ncol)+3

1160 col=((k-1) MOD ncol)*ewid

1170s«IF chn=1 THEN AT lin,col

1180 ELSE :IF lin=l] THEN PRINT#&chn,TO col;

1190 ELSE :PRINT #chni:ll=lin:END IF

1200 =END IF

1210 «IF ncol=1 THEN PRINT#chn,TO 4-LEN(k);k;TO 6
1220~=«ig=""

1230 IF fnd$=""

1240 PRINT#chn,” “;files$(k):

1250 ELSE
1260 IF f£nd$ INSTR files$(k)
1270 IF chn=1 THEN UNDER 1:ELSE is="*"

1280 END IF

1290 PRINT#chn,i6;files$(k);:UNDER 0

1300 4=END IF

1310 END FOR k

1320 Ipg=pg

1330 IF chn=l THEN AT 24,1:PRINT"Page ";pg;" of “"jnpg
1340 END DEFine show_files

1350 :

1360 DEFine PROCedure get_device(m$}

1370 REPeat d_loop

1380 = device$="":AT 23,0:CLS 4

1390 PRINT"Device ";m$;"_ "j:PAPER 2

1400 =PRINT TO 40;"[Press number key for choice]";TO 80
1410) PAPER 4:AT 24,0:CLS 4

1420 PRINT" 1/MDV1_ 2/MDV2_ 3/FLP1_ 4/FLP2_";
1430 PRINT" S/RAMI_ 6/RAM2_ 7/Other 8/Exit
1440 REPeat key_loop

1450 IS=INKEYS(-1):AT 24,74:PRINT i$;:d="0"si$:d$='
1460 IF d>0 AND d<9 THEN EXIT key_loop

1470 BEEP 1000,90:AT 24,74:PRINT" ";

1480 END REPeat key_loop

1490 = SELect ON d

1500
1510
1520
1530
1540 =4:a$:"FLP2_"

1550 =5:d$=""RAM1_"

1560 =6:d$="RAM2_"

1570 =REMAINDER

1580 END SELect S
1890 «IF d$<>"" THEN deviceS=d$:EXIT d_loop
1600 IF d=7:AT 24,0:CLS 4

1610 INPUT" Device name : “;deviceS

1620 IF LEN(device$)=5

1630 IF device$(5)="_" THEN EXIT d_loop
1640 END IF :END IF

1650 END REPeat d_loop

1660 END DEFine get_device

1670 :

1680 DEFine PROCedure heading(i$)

1690 PAPER 4:INK 0:BORDER 1,7:CLS

1700 PAPER 2:INK 0:AT 2,0:CLS 1

1710 i=(40-LEN(i$))/2:CSIZE 2,1

1720 AT O,i:PRINT i$:CSIZE 0,0

1730 PAPER 4:INK O:AT 3,0

1740 END DEFine heading

1750 :

1760 DEFine FuNction keyin§(c,lin,col,m$)

RoSTIGQ Sinclair/Timer Neweletter - & — ‘Warceh 190Q0n

1770) = AT#c,lin,col:CLS#c,4

1780 PRINT#c,m$;:PAPER#C,7:PRINT#C," ";

1790 i$=INKEYS(#c,-1)

1800 IF c=l THEN PAPER#c,4:ELSE PAPER#c,2

1810 AT#c,lin,col+LEN(m$):PRINT $c,i$;:RETurn i$

1820 END DEFine keyin$

1830 :

1840 DEFine PROCedure dir_print

1850 kS$=""theading"Print Directory to printer"

1860 AT 4,1:INPUT"Give heading : "shdS

1870 AT 24,20:CLS 4

1880 PRINT"{Printing to printer (serl). Have printer online}"
1890 OPEN#?,serl

1900 PRINT#7,"DIRECTORY of ";source$;" : ";a$;"_ ":b$;TO 60;DATES
1910 PRINT#7,\hd$\:show_files 7,0:PRINT #7,\\\\:CLOSE#?

1920 END DEFine dir_print

1930 :

1940 DEFine PROCedure sav:SAVE flp2_cdir_bas:END DEFine sav

Ed note:

The above program is an abbreviated version of DIRLUX, available
as @ one of three programs on CHAOS BUSTERS, from Wood and Wind
Computing, RR 3, Box 92, Cornish NH 03745. Other programs are
Filex, a transfer program to place all your directories in an
ARCHIVE Database, and DBEasy, a front end for ARCHIVE that
accesses much of its power without need to learn database
programming. Price $29.95 on disk, $33.95 on microcartridge.

BE SMUG

The Sinclair Milwaukee User Group
will host the 1990 Sinclair
Computer Exposition in (where
else) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the
weekend of June 2 & 3.

If you plan to attend, contact
Peter Hale at (617) 889-0830 to
co-ordinate transportation.

The flyer for the exposition is
reproduced on the inside back
cover.

INNOCENTS ABROAD

We recently received a copy of
the QL Australia, from a QL User
Group in New South Wales.

We understand that the group may
have as few a 11 members, but you
would never now it to look at
their newsletter.

It has the look of offset, and
may not have been produced on a
QL, but its content is meaty.

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter

It had the most understandable
exposition of C programming |
have come across and an
innovative program to let the QL
act like an overhead projector.

We also received QUASAR, the
newsletter of Germany's Sinclair
QL User Club which jis promoting
interchange with user groups
throughout the world.

Unfortunately my German is not as
good as it once was, but several
tidbits are worth passing on.

The group has 950 members through
out Europe, and publishes a
handsome quarterly newsletter.

They have a multi-lingual public
domain software library.

The group's interests range from
Packet Radio to Pascal and from
Machine Code to adventure games.

The Group supports all @pos
machines, including the THOR, the
QL-Atari and the QL-Amiga.

7 6 March 1990

PUBLIC DOMAIN LIBRARY
for TS-1000 and TS-2068

(The following announcement was
received from Tim L. Ward)

Timex/Sinclair User Groups:

The Timex/Sinclair Public Domain
Library has collected an
extensive library of information
that could be of use to your
group.

In addition to our software
Vibrary (386 TS-1000 programs,
1286 TS-2068 programs, RLE
graphics, LKDOS utilities) we

offer a user group mailing list,

a TS/user address file and a
index of Time Designs Magazine
articles.

We plan to offer much more, but
we need your help.

We need program submissions to
help the library grow, but we
would also like ideas for things
that you'd like to see.

How about cross-referenced index
for all TS-related magazines? We
can do it with your help.

We would be glad to trade public
domain libraries or mailing lists
with your group, as we are trying
to build the largest amount of
TS-related data in North America,
at the lowest cost to users.

Our library offers discs in LKDOS
format for both TS1000 and 2068
as well as cassettes; any disc or
tape is $4.00 ppd for those
interested in buying the library
{3 tape/discs-2068, 8 tapes/10
discs-1000). Please get in touch
with us if we can be of help to
your group or if you would like
to help our library grow.

Thank you.

Sinceraly,

Tim Ward, TS-1000 Librarian
Tony Willing,TS-2068 Librarian

5412-D Ginko Or. S.W., Tacoma, WA
98439

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter

UPDATE TO LIVE

The last reliable magazine for
TS-2068 and QL users in North
America has had some difficulty
the past year but now will live.

UPDATE Magazine (1317 Stratford
Ave, Panama City, FL 32404) had
developed as Bil] Jones’ hobby in
support of the Sinclair computer.

In the past year the required
energy level has been more than
Bill wanted to handle alone and

he wants to sail the Caribbean

with his wife.

After several pleas for help,
Frank Davis stepped forward and
beginning with the October 1990
issue he will be the publisher.

UPDATE has been successful in a
field littered with shreds of
failed publications.

Some of the remarkable features
of UPDATE are a sense of humor
and useful educational articles.

it has proved that you can
publish a magazine that appeals
to advanced users without leaving
the neophyte confused.

The subscription price of $18.00
for four 50 page quarterly
issues is a steal, given the cost
of printing and postage without
subsidy from advertising.

The magazine has supported North
American software programmers
with the innovative concept of
pubishing ‘issue discs’ with
software at reasonable prices.

Bill has always maintained a
supportive role for the Sinclair
community - a community not
without its divisions.

There has been a tradition at
UPDATE of not paying authors. And
yet it has survived with a hopper
full of articles waiting to be
published while other magazines
that paid have folded.

Who says the spirit of
volunteerism is dead in America?

-7- March 1997

ALTKEY BOOT
by Al Boehm

This little boot sets some ALTKEY
variables used when programming
SuperBASIC. The choices are in-
teresting, but not the point.

The point is that it’s easy to
forget the values assigned to
some ALTKEYS.

This boot LISTs on the screen the
ALTKEY assignments. They stay
there only for a short time,
while extension files are being
loaded. Then they disappear with
the NEW command.

90 REMark AL BOEHM'S BOOT - PLOT,
WINDOW, & EXTENSIONS 4 Mar 89

95 REMark = SS

100 PAPER #2,0:CLS #2

110 PAPER #2,4:INK #2,0

120 WINDOW #0, 459,255-210,24,211

130 WINDOW #1, 459,210,24,0

140 WINDOW #2, 459,210,24,0

150 CLS:LIST 170 TO 270

160 REMark ALTKEYS

165 REMark == Sz

170 ALTKEY ‘b',"window
511,255,0,0 : paper 0: cls”

180 ALTKEY ‘d’,"def proc "

190 ALTKEY ‘f',"def fn "

200 ALTKEY ‘e',"end def

210 ALTKEY ‘1',“paper#0,0
: ink#0,7 : paper 2:ink 7

220
230
240

250 ALTKEY ‘t',"window
#0,459,45,24,211
: window #2,230,210,24,0
: window #1,229,210,254,0"

260 ALTKEY ‘w',"window
#0,459,45,24,211
: window #1,459,210,24,0
: window #2,459,210,24,0"

270 REMark CALLS FOR EXTENSIONS
AND PROGRAMS

275 REMark ==

280 a=RESPR(640) : LBYTES
flp2_extensions_code,a
: CALL a

290 a=RESPR(250) : LBYTES
flp2_screens_obj,a : CALL a

300 a=RESPR(600) : LBYTES
fip2_plot,a : CALL a

310 NEW

MEETING NOTES

The most recent meeting of the QL
group was held at Al Boehm's home
on Saturday, March 3rd.

Dick Taylor demonstrated QL World
software that showed molecular
structure in rotation by loading
a series of screens in rapid
sequence.

Al Boehm demonstrated further
skills with the new Thor. Ernie
Wider, having just acquired a new
office Thor, was an apt pupil

Networking from microdrives on a
Qt te the THOR was a major part
of Ernie's learning.

Mike Mitchell demonstrated a
monitor interface for the QL that
permitted paper and ink colors to
be changed. By rotating a wired
switch in the interface, it was
possible to have Blue ink or
Paper in Mode 4. Quill on a light
blue screen with dark blue text
is very fine indeed. Mike plans
to develop a more sophisticated
hardware version that will work
in Mode 8 as well.

Another of Mike's demonstrations
was an application of the Prairie
Digital Analogue/Digital [tnput/
Output (ADIO) interface board to
position retating cams at will
once the QL had ‘learned’ the
cam's configuration.

Mike’s final demonstration in
networking was less sucessful.
The object was to permit one
computer to write directly to the
screen of a networked remote QL.
Unfortunately, the Thor showed
some incompatibility in the demo.

The idea is part of a game that
Mike is developing for playing
BATTLESHIP on a pair of QL's.

If you remember the children's
game, the object is to destroy an
enemy's fleet without being able
to see its position - hence the

networked QL's.

Lunch was fantastic, and we
welcomed first timer Norm Shein.

S.M.U.G. Presents
the 1990 SINCLAIR COMPUTER Exposition

MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN

June 2 & 3 /Banquet Friday Night June 1
SEMINARS, DOOR PRIZES, SWAP SHOP,
SOFTWARE, PERIPHERALS, HARDWARE,

AND LOTS OF OTHER STUFF

Location
WAUKESHA HOLIDAY INN (414) 786-0460

Hwy 18 & 194 Waukesha, WI 53186

There will be a SNUG meeting Saturday Night June 2, 1990
Ticket Information:

in advance at the door
One day : $4.00 $5.00
Bothdays : $ 7,00 $9.00
Banquet : $16.00 $16.00 Limited seating
Table : $25.00 (incld. 2 day badge) $25.00 Limited table space

Tables are 6 feet by 30 inches
For MORE INFORMATION contact

Bill Heberlein Neal Schultz
5052 N. 91st Street or call 7 - 10pm
Milwaukee, WI 53225 (414) 353-4522

for RESERVATIONS mail to:
Expo Reservations

P.O. Box 101
oc 7 Butler, WI 53007
PaaS SD) SURG 2nd MAN acd aceuesvandacesz.in fase geeasseapeastecbibeasbene uate eave esteateate
Name Phone ( }
Address
City State Zip.
Please reserve _ one day badge @$4.00 each=§$
Please reserve two day badges @$7.00 each=$
Please reserve Banquet tickets @ $16.00 each = §
Picase reserve 6 x 30” tables @ $25.00 each = $

Ihave included a check/money order for total =$

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter - 10 - March 1990